Inkjet printer cradle with shaped recess for receiving a printer cartridge

• US 8,079,683 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2011
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, Laura
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez, Carlos A
• Application Number:
  US12/987,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20110096123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 345 Days
• Field of Search: 347/86, 347/85, 347/84
• US Class Current: 347/85
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1752 Mounting within the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17523 Ink connection
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1755 mechanically

Abstract

An inkjet printer system including a plurality of inkjet printer cartridges; and a number of inkjet printer cradles each including a body defining a recess and arranged to receive and operate each of a set of supported inkjet printer cartridges of the plurality of inkjet printer cartridges; wherein those inkjet cartridges of said plurality not belonging to the set of supported inkjet printer cartridges, in respect of a particular one of said number of inkjet printer cradles, are shaped to prevent their reception into the recess of said particular inkjet printer cradle.

Claims

1. An inkjet printer system comprising:

a printer having a first cradle defining a recess for receiving an inkjet printer cartridge, the first cradle having a first printer control board for controlling an operation of the printer;

a range of inkjet printer cartridges, each cartridge comprising a pagewidth printhead having a performance characteristic differentiating the printhead from printheads of other inkjet printer cartridges in the range, each cartridge further comprising a plurality of ink reservoirs and a refill port for refilling each of the plurality of ink reservoirs; and

a second printer control board, interchangeable with the first printer control board, wherein

the range of inkjet printer cartridges includes a first set of inkjet printer cartridges supported by the first printer control board, and a second set of inkjet printer cartridges supported by the second printer control board,

the printer performance is adjustable upon replacement of an ink jet printer cartridge with another inkjet printer cartridge from the range of inkjet printer cartridges, and

the second printer control board supports one or more functionalities of an inkjet printer cartridge not supported by the first printer control board.

2. An inkjet printer system according to claim 1, wherein an inkjet printer cartridge belonging to the second set is formed with a protrusion or indentation that interferes with an indentation or protrusion formed on the first cradle.

3. An inkjet printer system according to claim 1, wherein each inkjet printer cartridge and each cradle include an indicia indicating whether a particular inkjet printer cartridge is supported by a particular inkjet printer cradle.